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Raptor (RAH)
:Raptor is a Cobra character from the A Real American Hero series. Before he ever donned his bird outfit, Raptor was your typical white-collar tax consultant. It wasn't until he got into falconry that birds of prey became his life, leaving the finance world behind. Raptor turned to hunting and poaching, using and breeding his winged predators to produce and outfit larger and stronger birds of prey. After targeting minks on a Cobra-owned ranch, he was apprehended by Destro and later was brought into the fold. While his world revolves around making predatory birds to attack G.I. Joe, he still knows it's all about the money. Fiction Comics continuity A Real American Hero comics continuity - Marvel Raptor was working with Crimson Guardsman Fred VII in a secret Cobra facility disguised as a garage. Raptor was a falconer as well as an accountant who was able to work wonders with financial records. He was able to use credit card transactions to track a group of Joes delivering a new weapon. He was initially mocked by Cobra Commander due to his unusual appearance, who asked Fred why Raptor was walking around without s straitjacket. Raptor explained that his appearance made the birds respond better to him. Raptor tried to prove his sanity by locating the Joes tracking the pay record of Nicky Lee, which allowed him, Fred and Cobra Commander to find a Joe Convoy so the Commander could attack them with the Pogo. When Billy recovered all his memories and left his father, Raptor tried to use his birds to stop him, but Billy kicked his bird-calling whistle away. Cobra Commander, reflecting about what his life decisions had made to Billy, tried to quit, but Raptor got afraid that without Cobra to cover up for him, he would go to jail for tax fraud, so he stood silent when Fred shot and decided to supplant Cobra Commander. After burying Cobra Commander, Fred went to wash the shovels and Raptor remained in the car, from where he saw Billy in a car driven by Jinx, and pursued them until they managed to lost him, so he had his birds track them from above until they reached the Presidio army base. He tried to call Fred to share this info, but Fred had already left to Cobra Island. At some undisclosed point, Raptor was part of a Cobra mission to kidnap the President of the USA. One of his birds dropped some gas bombs to allow Firefly and Zarana to secure the president. Luckily Jinx, Lady Jaye and Scarlett managed to climb on the Cobra blimp. Lady Jaye knocked Raptor out and used her knife to force Raptor's bird back until it fell into the blimp's propeller. Some time after Billy moved to Oakland with his mother, Raptor surprised him in his way to school. Billy easily defeated him, but Raptor told Billy that he knew where the real Cobra Commander was buried, and he knew who killed him. Raptor brought Billy outside of Denver, where Tyrone and Zartan (disguised as the Blind Master) arrived to dissuade them from desecrating the grave, but Billy said that it was the only way to find if Raptor said the truth. They all got the help of Captain Minh to take them to Cobra Island, where Billy noticed that the "Cobra Commander" there wasn't his actual father, and Raptor revealed it was Fred VII. Raptor left the group and found Dr. Mindbender, and after criticizing each other's outfits, they talked about replacing Fred with a clone of Cobra Commander, as Raptor knew where the body was. Mindbender and Raptor had some Vipers unearth Cobra Commander's body, but they only found a shirt with a bullet hole, and the real Cobra Commander emerged from the nearby trees, revealing his survival. After returning to Cobra Island, the real Cobra Commander sealed Raptor inside a large landlocked ship, along with others the Commander considered traitors, such as Fred, Zartan, and Dr. Mindbender. Mindbender and Raptor managed to find some food in the aft section of the freighter, at least enough to not starve while digging out, and when Fred VII tried to take charge, the pair violently opposed and Zartan was left in charge instead. The food turned out to be tainted, and most of them died of botulism. Raptor's corpse was found among others by the Toxo-Vipers and Techno-Vipers who were sent to confirm the deaths. Action Force (British) Comics continuity Marvel Raptor worked for Destro on a mission when a Phantom X-19 stealth plane was shot down in the Jordanian desert. A local warlord sought to auction the plane and other nomad warlords, G.I. Joe the Action Force, Destro and Cobra all converged on the site. Destro was also seeking the fighter and ordered Raptor to kill the Cobra ninja Storm Shadow. One of Raptor's eagles attacked Storm Shadow, scratching the ninja with claws dipped in poison but the Joe medic Lifeline saved Storm Shadow's life. Storm Shadow and Raptor found they had to work together to escape the city of Tehtrad, but vowed to one day kill Raptor. Ballantine books continuity Toys A Real American Hero (1987) Trivia * Since the release of Jurassic Park in 1993, the word "raptor" is usually associated with the velociraptor dinosaur, but the term is actually references any predatory bird with a strong notched bill and sharp talons. The word was first recorded in relation to birds in 1873.Raptorial * Raptor was only animated for commercials. * Raptor is the boss at the end of section 1-2 in the Taxan NES game G.I. Joe. *Working names included "Peregrine," "Gos," and "Skree." External links *Raptor at JMM's G.I. Joe Comics Home Page Footnotes Category:1987/Introductions Category:Cobra Category:A Real American Hero characters Category:Deceased Characters/Marvel Category:Characters released once